Guard-rail clamp



H. 6. m. GUARD RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT- 4, I920.

'Z SHEETS- SHEET 1.

1,415,742. Patented May9,1922.

II I

H. G. WARR.

GUARD RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4. I920.

Patented May 9, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES HAROLD G. WARLR, OF PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNDR TO THE i OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PATENT OFFICE.

85 M COMPAIFTY.

GUARD-RAIL CLAMP,

. Application filed. September This invention relates to guard. rail clamps. .i a

One of the ob ects of the invention is to provid a guard rail clamp of improved construction which is strong, durable. and relatively inexpensive in cost of manufacture.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which may be more readily adjusted. to compensate for wear and to permit the readjustment of various track elements which get out of ad ustment and alignment through i use.

A further object is to provide a guard rail clamp which Will permit the guard rail to rise responsively to the movement oi the running rail as a train passes over it. so as to prevent breakage and distortion resulting from the rigid anchoring of the guard rail to the tie. i

j A still further object is to provide a guard. rail clamp which Will not transmit to the running rail the shocks and blows received by the guard rail from the passage of a train and in which an improved anchorage is provided for transmitting such shocks and blows directly. to the ties.

The invention consists in the novel con.- st'ructions, combinations and devices hereinafter described and claimed, for carrying out the above stated objects and such other objects as will appear from the following description.

The drawings illustrate certain preferred embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section through a guard and running rail showing the guard rail clamp in elevation.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a perspective showing the base of the device and the guard rail abutment.

Fiqure 4 is a detail section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing the manner Specification of Letters Patent.

':atcntecl May 9, 1922.

Serial No. @8334 oil. anchoring the guard rail abutment to the base plate.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1.

illustrating a modified form oi adjustable chock.

Figure 6 i. an elevation similar to that shown in Figure 1 illustrating a modified form oi. side rail clamp, and

Figure 7 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 6.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several .[igures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the main or running. rail 1 and the guard. rail 2 rest directly upon the base plate 3, which takes the place of the usual tie plate. The base plate is preferably oi rolled steel having spike holes :1 therein and is preferably provided with struck up abutments or lugs 5 adapted to engage the outer rail base oi. the running: rail. The guard rail brace comprises an abutment 6 and an adjustable block 7 adapted to engage the guard rail. The abutment 6 is preferably of. cast metal and is secured to the base plate 3 by casting the same through. suitable openings ll. in the plate. For this purpose the plate is preferably oilset, as shown at 8. and metal. is cast under the offset portion in the torm of a plate 9 which rigidly anchors the abutment 6 in place and provides also a flat bottom for the plate 3. In order to reduce weight the abutment 6 is prefeii'ably cored out. as shown at 10.. during; the casting operation.

The Face 12 of the abutment 6 formed at an angle to the taco of the bloclr 7 and provided with a corres iiondinpdy inclined groove or guideway 14;. The block 7 is provided with a correspondingly inclined face 15 and a tongue or rib 16 adapted to lit and through which a pin 19 is adapted to pass in order to engage one of the adjusting notches, so as to reta1n the block 7 in adjusted position. If desired, the arrangement of the rib and groove may be reversed by providing the block with a groove and the abutment with a rib. Any other suitable means for obtaining relative adjustment may be employed. The face 13 of the block 7 shaped to conform to the upper portion of the web of a rail, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. A space 20 is provided below the lower face of the block and abutment so as to permit the flange of the guard rail to rise, if necessary.

The rails are spaced apart and wedged against opposing abutments 5 and 6 by the adjusting chock 21. The chock 21 comprises a pair of blocks 22 and 23, whose adjacent faces are inclined relative to the webs of the rails so that the effective width of the chock may be varied by sliding one block on the otherxThe adjacent faces ofthe blocks 22 and 23 are notched or serrated, as shown at 24. to provide cooperating surfaces which will prevent relative movement between the blocks-when they are placed in adjusted position. The blocks are also provided with a horizontal tongue 25 and groove 26, respectively, so as to prevent relative vertical dis placement. One of the blocks, in this case the block 22, is provided with a downwardly projecting lug 27 adapted to extend into the slot or recess 28 in the base 3 so as to prevent longitudinal displacement of the chock with respect to the base.

Operation: The rail base may be placed in position, if necessary, without removing the rail. The base 3 is spiked in a position, determined by the running rail 1 over the flange of which the lugs 5 fit. The block 7 is adjusted on the inclined face 12 of the abutment, so as to adjust the distance between the outside face of the guard rail and the inside face of the opposite running rail at'the proper gauge to prevent the opposite flanges of the wheels of a train from striking the frog of the switch. Inasmuch as this adjustment is the controlling adjustment of the guard rail it is desirable to pro vide a guardrail brace which may be easily adjusted. If the inner face of the guard rail becomes worn, or the track becomes out of alignment through usage. the guard rail may be again adjusted by sliding the block 7 over the inclined base 12 and locking the same in position. by the pin 19. The chock 21 serves to hold the rails in position.

The block 7 is preferably molded and the notches 17 are preferably formed in the rib 1.6 during'the molding operation. No machining of the adjusting elements of the guard rail brace is necessary. This cheapens the construction. V

The provision of the space 20 below the lowe'rfface of the guard rail brace permits the guard. rail to rise and thus prevent distortion and the eventual breaking of the guard rail brace by the passage of trains over the rails. he passage of a train over a track causes the running rail to rise slightly in front of the leading wheels. The rising of the running rail tends to lift the guard rail and accordingly it is desirable, in order to avoid damage, to permit the guard rail to rise slightly instead of anchoring the same firmly in position.

In Figure 5 I have shown a modified con struction of chock. The chock 29 is provided with a lug 30 adapted to fit within a corresponding slot or recess in the web of the guard rail 31. This construction takes the place of the lug 27 in the form shown in Figure 1 and serves to prevent displacement of the chock. In other respects the chock 29 is like that shown in Figure 1.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a modified form of rail brace. The guard rail brace is adapted to be positioned between the ties. It comprises a plate 32, preferably of rolled steel. which extends across adjacent ties. The yoke 33 is preferably formed separately by casting and secured to the plate 32 by a plurality of rivets 3a which pass through suitable attaching lugs 35 and bracing ribs 36. If desired, the yoke 33 may be secured to the plate 32 by casting the same through openings in the plate in the manner described in connection with the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4. Under certain conditions it may even be desirable to cast the yoke and plate in one piece out of cast steel. The manner of making the yoke and plate and of connecting the same together is usually determined by the costs of the various materials and of manufacture. The yoke 33 terminates in a hook 37 adapted to extend over the base flange of the running rail 38. The guard rail abutment 39 is preferably cast hollow and is similar in construction to that shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. The guard rail adjusting block i0 is likewise similar in construction to that shown in Figs. 1. to 3 inclusive. The adjustable chock 4:1 is provided with a pair of spaced downwardly extending lugs 42 adapted to straddle the yoke to prevent displacement of the chock. Tn other respects it is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. r

The shocks and blows received by the guard rail from the passage of a train are received by the plate 32 through the guard rail brace and transmitted to the two adjacent ties. This distributes the stress and at the same time increases the resistance to displacement of the rail or ties. Substantially none of this stress is transmitted throughthe yoke to the running rail.

The operation of the modified forms of construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is similar to that previously described in connection with Figs. 1 to linclusive and further detailed description is not necessary.

I claim:

1. A guard rail clamp of the type described comprising in combination a base, a guard rail brace comprising a member rigidly secured to said base and a block adapted to engage a guard rail, said member and block having cooperating engaging faces inclined to the rail engaging face of said block, said block engaging only the upper portion of a guard rail and leaving a space below said block and member to permit the free upward movement of the guard rail.

2. A guard rail clamp of the type de scribed comprising an abutment rigidly secured to said. base, and a block adapted to engage a guard rail, said abutment and block provided with cooperating faces inclined to the rail engaging face of said block, said inclined face of said block being provided with a rib having a plurality of adjusting notches and said face of said abutment provided with a groove adapted to receive said rib and a locking key on said abutment for engaging said notches to hold said block in adjusted position.

3. A guard rail clamp comprising in com bination a base adapted to receive a guard rail and a running rail, an abutment rigidly secured to said base, and a block adapted to engage a guard rail, said abutment and block providing a space below the same for permitting the guard rail to rise, pro vided with cooperating faces inclined to the rail engaging face of said block, said inclined face of said block being provided with a rib having a plurality of adjusting notches and said face of said abutment provided with a groove adapted to receive said rib and locking means for engaging said notches to hold said block in adjusted position.

4.. A guard rail clamp of the type described comprising an abutment rigidly secured to said base, and a block adapted to engage a guard rail, said abutment and block provided with cooperating faces in clined to the rail engaging face of said block, said inclined face of said block beng provided with a rib having a plurality of adjusting notches and said face of said abutment provided with a groove adapted to receive said rib and locking means comprising a pair of spaced perforated lugs and a pin slidable therethrough for engaging said notches to hold. said block in ad justcd position and an. adjustable chock for adjustably spacing the guard and running rails.

5. In guard rail clamp the combination of a base adapted to receive a guard rail and a running rail, an abutment rigidly secured. to said base and adapted to engage the up per portion of a guard rail and providing a space below to permit the guard rail to rise and an abutment on said base for engaging the outer flange of said running rail.

6. In a guard rail clamp the combination of a base and a guard rail and a running rigidly secured to said plate and engaging said guard rail, lugs struck up from said plate for engaging the outer flange of said running rail, and. an adjustable chock between said rails having a lug thereon extend ing into an opening in the web of said guarc rail.

8. In a guard rail clamp, the combination. with a guard rail and a running rail, of a plate adapted to be secured to a tie, said plate provided with struck up lugs adapted to engage the base of said. running rail, an abutment rigidly secured to said plate adapted to permit vertical movement of the guard rail and provided with an adjustable block for engaging said guard rail to prevent lateral movement thereof, and an adjustable chock between said rails.

9. A guard rail clamp, comprising in combination a rolled metal plate p1."ovided with openings, and adapted to be secured to a tie, a guard rail brace comprising a hollow abutment cast to said. plate and anchored thereto through said openings, an adjustable block slidable on said. abutment and adapted to engage a guard rail.

10. A guard rail clamp, com prising in combination a rolled metal plate provided with openings, and adapted to be secured to a tie, a guard rail brace comprising a hollow abutment cast to said plate and anchored thereto through said. openings, an adjustable block slidable on said. abutment and adapted to engage a guard rail, said plate provided with struck up lugs for engaging the face of an adjacent running rail.

11. .A guard rail. clamp, comprising in combination a rolled metal plate provided with openings, and adapted to be secured to a tie, a guard rail brace comprising a hollow abutment cast to said plate and anchored thereto through said openings, a block adapted to engage a guard rail, said abutment and block having cooperating engaging faces inclined to the outer face of said.

block, means for adjusting said block relatively to said abutment, and means on said plate for engaging a running rail.

12. A guard rail. clamp of the type described comprising an abutment rigidly secured to a base, and a block adapted to en gage a guard rail, said abutment and block provided with cooperating faces inclined to the rail engaging face of said block, said inclined face of said block being provided with bination a rolled metal plate provided with openings, and adapted to be secured to a tie, a guard rail brace comprising an abutment cast to said plate, and anchored thereto through said openings, an adjustable block slidable on said abutment and mlapted to engage a guard rail.

HAROLD G. WARE. 

